Blackwater gets back at Kia, spoils Pacquiao’s sendoff

LA Revilla of KIA (dark) vs Brian Heruela of Blackwater (light). PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio

MANILA, Philippines—Blackwater managed to hold on what it let slip away four and a half months ago.

The Elite, who lost to the Carnival in the season opener after blowing a big lead, hung on to win, 115-104, and stop a three-game slide on Saturday in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the San Juan Arena.

Rookie Brian Heruela flirted with a triple-double—scoring 27 points and collecting eight rebounds and seven assists for Blackwater, which halted Kia’s two-game run.

“We expected our first win right on opening day last October but it was spoiled by Kia,” said Blackwater head coach Leo Isaac.

Import Marcus Douthit also starred with 24 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks while playing almost the full game.

PJ Ramos, the Carnival’s 7-foot-3 reinforcement, recorded a season-high 49 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter.

Blackwater squandered an 18-point lead as Kia threatened to go all the way after cutting it to six before the Elite leaned on Heruela and proven veterans Eddie Laure and Sunday Salvacion to weather the storm.

Salvacion added 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field as he and Laure helped settle their team amid a ferocious Kia fightback.

Back-to-back jumpers by Laure—both off assists from Heruela—put the game away, 109-97, with under a minute left.

The Elite notched their second win against six losses and their victory spoiled Carnival playing coach Manny Pacquiao’s sendoff.

Pacquiao is set to leave later in the night for the US to continue his training camp for his May 2 mega fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

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